People from over 50 countries are vying for a Picasso for 100 euros in a charity raffle. The funds raised from the 100-euro tickets will be dedicated to Alzheimer's disease research. "The idea is brilliant, and like all brilliant ideas, it's simple: a global raffle with a single prize. A Picasso, he is the most famous artist in the world," Peri Cochin, the driving force behind the '1 Picasso for 100 euros' lotteries, told EFE. She assures that participants come from all walks of life, not just major collectors. "It's the interest that anyone can participate simply by going to our website," she added. These initiatives have already raised 10 million euros worldwide. In the first one, in 2017 for the International Association to Save Tyre (to rebuild the Lebanese city, a UNESCO World Heritage site), the winner was a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania (USA). The second, held in 2019, raised 5 million euros for the NGO Care, and the winner was an Italian accountant who had received her ticket as a Christmas gift from her son. "We are going to hold the draw and there will be a winner who will be able to put this Picasso in their living room. And that prize is an authentic Picasso," celebrated Dr. Olivier de Ladoucette, president of the Alzheimer Research Foundation, which will be the beneficiary of this initiative, in statements to EFE. The work in question is a gouache on paper depicting Dora Maar, simply titled 'Tête de femme' and painted in 1941 by the Malaga genius. "She is the one who gave him the idea to paint Guernica and in it we find a bit of the colors of the famous Picasso painting," explained Ladoucette, referring to the white, black, and gray tones of the work. The draw will take place on April 14 at 6:00 PM (16:00 GMT) at Christie's auction house in Paris, and most of the tickets are already sold, though thousands remain to be sold. 'Tête de femme' comes from the Opera Gallery collection, which has art galleries worldwide, and this year's is the third edition of the lottery, which has always been held with the same concept—the chance to win a Picasso for 100 euros from anywhere in the world—but with a different charitable beneficiary each time. "What could be the prize that could interest the whole planet? And the others will not have won but will have allowed research on Alzheimer's disease to advance," pointed out Ladoucette. As a doctor, he created his foundation in 2004 seeing that it was a disease that had "a huge delay in research" and with what they raise, projects are financed both in France and elsewhere, such as Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and soon also in America. This time, the money raised from the lottery will be used to fund five research projects covering genetics and biomarkers to new treatment possibilities. It is a condition that affects around 35 million people worldwide, with particular prevalence in developed countries and with aging populations. "The world must face three main challenges. The first two we know very well, ecology and digital transformation with Artificial Intelligence."
